Follow The Yellow Brick Road
by MissAztec57
Summary: Romano finds himself in an unsusual place with only one set of instuctions, 'Follow the yellow brick road.' Disclaimer - I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia OR Wizard of Oz
1. Tornadoes, tomatoes and tacky overalls

Disclaimer: Hetalia does not belong to me!

**Chapter 1 **

**Of Tornadoes, tomatoes and tacky overalls**

Romano stood, panting heavily. He was hunched over, face flushed and eyes darting nervously.

No sign of that French bastard.

He leant against the white picket fence and sighed in relief, ignoring the blunt pikes pressed painfully into his back.

'Dammit, where is that bastard Antonio when I need him.' he muttered breathlessly. A gust of wind buffeted him and he braced himself against it, hands clenched tightly around the wooden poles. The sky loomed over him, a mass of violent, dark grey clouds. Another burst of wind blew locks of his hazelnut hair into his face causing him to splutter. He scowled, his mood as angry as the ominous weather. Noticing the figure of the Spaniard over in a nearby field, he ran across to him, the dry grass soft beneath his feet.

'Antonio!' he cried, punching the man in the arm for attention. 'Francis was trying to molest me again!'

Antonio continued his work, plucking ripe tomatoes from the vines and placing them in a small wicker basket slung over his arm. His face was un-characteristically focused and there was an ever growing trail of rotten tomatoes behind him. He inspected a tomato carefully, before frowning and throwing it behind him.

'Romano, can't you see I'm busy. Our tomato crop is diseased and I need to save as many as I can.' He smiled apologetically, but continued to work.

'The t-tomatoes are diseased?' Romano's face fell and he bit his lip. He paused for a moment before placing his hands on his hips and stamping his foot impatiently. 'Dammit Antonio, Francis being perverted is more important than our tomato crop.'

Antonio looked up and chuckled, oblivious of how he was increasingly angering Romano.

'Francis wouldn't hurt you. He's a nice person once you get to know him.'

Romano rolled his eyes. 'Fine if you don't care I'll go find someone else who does!'

He growled angrily and stalked off, leaving Antonio to rescue his beloved tomatoes alone.

* * *

'This is like, totally hopeless. Whose smart idea was it to move the cart without the wheels anyway?' a blonde haired man drawled, pushing a large wheel delicately, as though it was dangerous.

'That would be you, Feliks.' A smaller man piped up. He attempted to lift the cart, groaning beneath the weight, before collapsing to the ground.

'You sh'dnt b' doin' tht Tino' A man wearing glasses stood up and lifted the cart effortlessly; to the bewildered look on Tino's face.

Feliks sat down with a bump and began inspecting his fingernails. 'This is totally slaves work. Is it like even legal? And these overalls are so not flattering.' He pulled at his own denim overalls for effect and sighed dramatically but his face broke out into a smile when he saw Romano.

Romano stopped in front of the exhausted workers and crossed his arms.

'Francis was chasing me again. He found me walking on the road and he pulled my curl so I ran away and he chased me for miles. He was threatening to do horrible things to me and that bastard Antonio won't listen to me and....' Romano was interrupted by a loud, if not exaggerated yawn.

'Puh – lease Romano, Francis has never done anything to you.'

Romano glared at Feliks who just stared lazily back.

'Helloooo!' A loud, merry voice broke the silence. 'I made you some cookies!'

A cheerful, apron clad, Antonio walked up to the foursome. He grinned and held out a plate full of delicious smelling cookies.

'Ohhhh!' squealed Feliks jumping up, his energy recovering suspiciously fast.

'Thnks' Berwald grunted, taking one for Tino as well.

Romano glanced from the irritatingly cheerful Antonio to the quietly munching Tino and gritted his teeth in anger. 'What the fuck is wrong with you all! Why doesn't anyone care about me! You know what, I bet you wouldn't even care if I wasn't here!'

He blinked back angry tears and turned on his heel, running as fast as he could towards the wire fence surrounding the perimeter of the farm. Jumping over quite gracefully for his current emotional state, he landed on the dirt road and began to walk quickly down the road. He had no idea where he was going, he just knew he had to get away. The wind blew all around him, dirt and debris flying, but he didn't care.

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
Way up high,  
There's a land that I heard of  
Once in a lullaby_

_Somewhere over the rainbow  
Skies are blue,  
And the dreams that you dare to dream  
Really do come true._

If Feliciano had been chased by Francis they would have listened, he though bitterly

He started to sing again, his rich voice fighting against the wind.

_Someday I'll wish upon a star  
And wake up where the clouds are far  
Behind me.  
Where troubles melt like lemon drops  
Away above the chimney tops  
That's where -_

He stopped. God that was cheesy_._ It sounded like something his twin brother would say. Bloody Feliciano. He always was the favouriteHe sighed. Although it was soppy, singing surprisingly did make him feel a little better.

He had been walking for a while when he noticed a large shape in the distance. Weary that the weather was becoming quite dangerous, he quickened his pace, hoping to find some shelter. As he neared, he realised that the shape was in fact a caravan.

'Shit' he muttered under his breath 'I do not need Gypsies right now.' He was right in front of the caravan and he could now see a man was hunched over a pile of sticks which Romano assumed used to be a fire.

'H-hello?' he asked nervously.

The man looked up startled, and grabbed his glasses from a nearby table. Squinting through them he broke into a smile. 'Hi! Didn't see you there. Would you like to have something to eat?'

He held out a slightly burnt sausage, his blonde-brown hair floating in the wind. Romano looked apprehensively at the pathetic looking food but his stomach gave a telltale grumble. 'Thanks' he said, sitting next to the man and chewing unrestrainedly on the sausage. 'So what are you doing here?'

The man leant back in his chair and pointed to his caravan. Large, bold letters marked out the side saying 'Alfred.. Fortune teller,' except in front of 'Fortune Teller' somebody had written in untidy black paint (Romano was guessing it was Alfred's writing) 'AWESOME' so the caravan now read 'AWESOME Fortune teller.' Romano smirked, his eyebrows raised.

'Fortune teller?' He folded his arms in disbelief.

'Yeah, yeah!' Alfred bounced enthusiastically causing Romano to draw back. 'Come on I'll show you!' He leant forward in his seat, and waved his arms dramatically. Romano jumped back in surprise as a crystal ball appeared before him but he remained unconvinced. 'Now close your eyes' Alfred began, placing his hands over the orb.

Romano shifted uncomfortably but shut his eyes obediently. Alfred waited until he was sure Romano had shut his eyes and then began.

'Um....you're going on a trip?'

Romano chuckled. 'Nope'

'You're traveling in disguise?'

"Noooo'

'You're.....escaping from something. You're running away!'

'How did you ever know?' Romano's voice dripped with sarcasm. Alfred just smiled.

'You feel like they don't love you at home, they don't care. So you're running away because you don't think it will make a difference.' He paused, noticing Romano's backpack with a picture of his family falling out the side. 'Everyone treats your twin brother better than you, they seem to love him more.'

Romano opened his eyes at this. 'How did you know that.' he asked, genuinely surprised. America tapped his nose and winked.

'All part of my trade.' He looked up at the sky. 'You really should start heading home. It looks like a major storm is coming. You don't want to be caught in the middle of this killer.'

'Didn't you work out anything? I'm running away from home you bastard! I don't want to go back!'

Alfred smirked. 'Oh so your just going to walk away, as far as you can until you get where exactly? You have no where to go. You're going to have to go home eventually and you may as well do it now. Just suck it up. Trust me, you think you'll be fine on your own but you'll end up missing them sooner or later.' His eyes glazed over as though in some distant memory.

Romano snorted. 'Whatever,' he said dismissively but began gathering his stuff. He didn't want to see anyone again but he knew how deadly these storms could get. 'I spose you're right.' He stood up dejectedly. Noticing his photo sticking out of his bag he froze and he smiled. 'You didn't really know any of that!' he said triumphantly.

'Of course I did!' Alfred retorted, although not meeting the others eyes and began moving things inside his caravan. Romano rolled his eyes and picked up his backpack.

'See ya then!' Alfred called after him. Romano raised a hand in response.

* * *

As he neared his house, the wind had picked up speed. He couldn't see anyone outside anymore.

'HELLO!" Romano yelled to no response. He spun around as a tree toppled over behind him. The sight that met him filled his heart with dread.

A tornado was rapidly growing closer, building speed, a spiral of wind, dust and debris. 'Shit!" he shouted in disbelief. He ran towards the trapdoor in the ground, shielding his eyes from stray objects. He pulled at the door but it was stuck fast. The others must have locked it already.

'Typical' he muttered. He racked his brains, what were you supposed to do when there was a tornado? He turned again to see the tornado plowing through a field. Deciding cover was the best option, he ran indoors.

The house was shaking and shuddering under the pressure of the wind. He jumped under his bed, curling up into a ball, his eyes tightly shut. The wind was getting louder and more violent now. The windows were nearly shattering. He watched in horror as the house tilted, the bed sliding from over him and crashing into the opposite wall.

Then suddenly it all stopped.

Romano opened his eyes nervously, and looked around. The wind had stopped but.... the house was spinning? He stood up and his mouth dropped.

He was in the tornado.

Right in the middle of it.

Was that even possible? He turned around in disbelief and ran over to the window. He was in the tornado all right. He could see the debris flying around him. His eyes widened as a cow flew past. He placed a hand on his head feeling dizzy all of a sudden.

'Fuck!' he clasped a hand over his mouth as Francis flew by, on a broomstick, nonetheless. He dropped to the floor. Being alone in his house, caught in a tornado, with Francis and a broomstick was not his idea of fun. In fact, it wasn't even an idea. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't even logical. A loud bang made him start and jump to his feet. The house had stopped spinning and had crashed landed. They must be out of the tornado Romano thought. Still feeling overwhelmed but grateful to be on solid ground, Romano walked towards the door and slowly turned the knob.

* * *

A/N: Hope you liked it! This story is basically going to follow the storyline of The Wizard of Oz, the stage musical, considering thats the version I know best. Reviews are love! =]


	2. Lullabies, Lollipops and Large Eyebrows?

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine!

**Chapter 2**

**Of Lullabies, Lollipops and Large eyebrows?**

Romano froze, his breath catching in his throat. His brown eyes widened in disbelief as he drank in the sight before him. It was possibly the most beautiful scene he had ever observed. The lush green grass shimmered and swayed in the light breeze. A field of golden flowers danced joyfully, inviting him to join their celebration. The sun beat down on him, creating a warm glow on the horizon. A bird twittered above, wings outstretched and floating gracefully in the pale blue sky. Romano blinked repeatedly, the sun streaming into his unadjusted eyes, and he sighed.

"We're definitely not in Kansas anymore" he said, receiving only silence from the smiling sun. Looking around, he cursed inwardly. "Great, what do I do now?" A small stone jutted out from the grassy hill, which seemed fairly out of place in the otherwise green environment. He stepped closer, aware that he shouldn't stray too far away from his house. The stone led to another, then to a pile, and then to a small path which had previously been concealed by the array of flowers. He began to follow the path, through the field of golden flowers, under a large overhanging tree and past a patch of roses which supported petite crimson buds. It curved around some densely placed trees and made its way into a clearing where it split into many sections. Romano, who had been staring intently at the path, lifted his eyes at the sudden complication.

The paths twisted around a small marble fountain, water springing from its spout. The clearing was sprinkled with small buildings; Romano guessed houses from the miniature doors, windows and chimneys. It was surprisingly tranquil; nothing suggesting the area was occupied except for small wisps smoke escaping from the chimneys. A muffled sound from behind him made him turn sharply, only to find himself facing a potted rose plant. He frowned, in confusion. Looking up, he started, noticing for the first time, a bright light in the distance. He squinted, hoping it was some form of help. The light became larger and brighter as it neared Romano and he raised a hand over his eyes, shielding them from the dazzling glow. He backed away, seeing that it was actually floating through the sky, and immediately his thoughts revisited all of the alien movies he had seen. The giant glowing orb halted a few meters away from him and suddenly vanished leaving a figure sprawled on floor awkwardly. Romano frowned inquisitively, remaining a cautious distance away. The figure slowly got to his feet and Romano noticed it was in fact a man with.....were they wings?

"Bloody hell! I really need to find a better way to travel." The man's large eyebrows were knotted in annoyance as he brushed the dirt from his white robe. His large wings extended gracefully, the soft, white feathers now tainted with dirt. He repositioned his askew halo and flicked the blonde hair out of his vivid green eyes. His eyes scanned over Romano's house mistrustfully before lingering on Romano's bewildered expression.

"Oh hello there," he said un-enthusiastically. "I'm the Britannia Angel but you can call me Arthur." He twirled his wand through his fingers absentmindedly for a second before turning and scowling at Romano. 'Whatever is the matter with you?'

Romano shook his head, closing his gaping mouth in the process. "W-what are you?" he asked, still suspicious of the man who had seemingly fallen out of the sky.

"I already told you. I'm the Britannia Angel. I protect the north of Oz.' He stopped seeing that Romano remained confused. "That's the name of this country" he added slowly. "Anyway," he continued, "I heard that you killed the Wicked Witch of the East and so I...."

"First things first," Romano cut him off rudely. "Why the fuck are you wearing a dress?"

Arthur's eyes widened in shock and his face flushed angrily causing Romano to smirk at the man's disgruntled expression.

"W-W-WHAT!' he spluttered angrily. "It's not a dress you git! It is obviously a toga." Arthur crossed his arms in annoyance. "Out of all the people who could have fallen out of the sky it just _had_ to be some rude imbecile" he muttered, rolling his eyes. A small nervous giggle burst out from behind one of the potted plants. " Oh shut up." Arthur snapped at the roses, causing a wave of giggling to sound from the clearing.

"What is that?" Romano said spinning around in confusion, remembering the noise he had heard behind the roses before the angel man appeared.

Arthur's eyes snapped back to the Italian. "They are the munchkins. They live in munchkin land which is where your house happened to land and in the process killed the Wicked Witch of the East who was presiding over them." He scowled at Romano in obvious irritation. Inhaling deeply, he began to sing in a pure voice, quite fitting for an angel.

_Come out, come out, wherever you are and meet the young man, who fell from a star.  
He fell from the sky, he fell very far and Kansas, he says, is the name of the star._

_Kansas, he says, is the name of the star,_ the munchkins echoed Arthur causing Romano to jump in surprise.

Romano watched in amazement as tiny people, about half the height of himself, slowly stood up from behind their various hiding places and walked tentatively towards him. The miniature houses suddenly started to make a lot more sense, although the whole situation still felt more like a dream than reality. Romano turned his attention away from the ever growing crowd gathering around him and back to the angel.

"Why are you singing?" he asked, eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

"It is the only way the munchkins will even _begin_ to trust you." Arthur whispered back "Although I don't even know why I bother sometimes." He faced the munchkins again.

_He brings you good news. Or haven't you heard?  
When he fell out of Kansas  
A miracle occurred_

The munchkins stopped and looked at the pair eagerly, expecting more.

"Sing!" Arthur hissed, elbowing Romano in the ribs.

"W-what! No way you bastard!" he retorted stubbornly earning another sharp jab in his side. "U-um. It really was no miracle. What happened was just this" he began with a small embarrassed flush, feeling Arthur's eyes drilling holes in his back.

_The wind began to switch - the house to pitch and suddenly the hinges started to unhitch.  
Just then the Witch - to satisfy an itch went flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.  
_

The munchkins who had all gathered around the two taller men were now smiling and seemed eager to join in. In unison they began to sing as well, a choir of high voices, causing Romano to stop and watch in a mix of confusion, surprise and annoyance.

_And oh, what happened then was rich.  
The house began to pitch. The kitchen took a slitch.  
It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch,  
Which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch.  
The house began to pitch. The kitchen took a slitch.  
It landed on the Wicked Witch in the middle of a ditch,  
Which was not a healthy situation for the Wicked Witch.  
Who began to twitch and was reduced to just a stitch of what was once the Wicked Witch._

Two pretty munchkin ladies stepped forward from the crowd and walked up to Romano, their faces alight with beaming smiles.

_We thank you very sweetly, for doing it so neatly._ The first one sang, curtseying gracefully.

The second one smiled up at him modestly. _You've killed her so completely, that we thank you very sweetly._

They concluded their solo's and ran back, embarrassed, to rejoin their friends.

Arthur turned to the munchkins smiling widely, looking a fair bit happier, which Romano thought was quite a feat for someone whose eyebrows were so large."Let the joyous news be spread, The Wicked Old Witch at last is dead!" he exclaimed to the crowd who responded with a unison of cheers and whistles.

_Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!  
Ding Dong! The Wicked Witch is dead.  
Wake up - sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed.  
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She's gone where the goblins go,  
Below - below - below. Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.  
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low_.  
_Let them know  
The Wicked Witch is dead!_

Another munchkin, this time a man dressed in a prestigious looking outfit, stepped in front of Romano. "As Mayor of the Munchkin City, In the County of the Land of Oz, I welcome you most regally."

Another munchkin stepped forward. "But we've got to verify it legally, to see"

"To see?"

"If she"

"If she?"

"Is morally, ethically"

"Spiritually, physically"

"Positively, absolutely"

"Undeniably and reliably Dead"

Another munchkin came forward, causing Romano to sigh loudly and receive a sharp look from Arthur.

_As Coroner I must aver, I thoroughly examined her._  
_And she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead._

"You know what, if a house landed on her, I'm pretty sure she's fucked." Romano muttered to himself incoherently.

The mayor stepped towards Romano again, causing the latter to glare at him. The mayor bit his lip but continued anyway. "Then this is a day of Independence for all the Munchkins and their descendants."

"If any." The coroner chimed in.

"I hope not." Romano muttered beneath his breath again, a little too loudly.

"Yes, let the joyous news be spread, the wicked Old Witch at last is dead!" The Mayor threw his arms into the air, ignoring Romano's snide comment.

_Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!  
Ding Dong! The Wick-_

"Just shut up already!" Romano shouted into the mass of singing, causing the song to cease and many pairs of eyes to focus on him. 'I get it you bastards. The witch is dead. Hooray." He cheered sarcastically. He winced as a sharp jolt of pain shot through his head and looked up to see Arthur and his wand looming over him. 'Fine...FINE!" Romano snapped begrudgingly, "Just hurry up and finish this shit."

A group of petite girls walked timidly up to him. They were standing gracefully on pointed ballet shoes, wearing pale pink tutus.

_We represent the Lullaby League, The Lullaby League, The Lullaby League  
And in the name of the Lullaby League,  
We wish to welcome you to Munchkinland._

They tiptoed away as quickly as possible, avoiding Romano's gaze as another small group, this time of men, began to sing.

_We represent the Lollypop Guild, The Lollypop Guild, The Lollypop Guild  
And in the name of the Lollypop Guild,  
We wish to welcome you to Muchkinland._

The munchkins were all smiling again as though they had forgotten Romano's outburst. If hell exists, then this must be it, Romano thought to himself.

_We welcome you to Munchkinland, Tra la la la la la la  
From now on you'll be history.  
You'll be history, you'll be history, you'll be history.  
And we will glorify your name.  
You will be a bust, be a bust, be a bust  
In the Hall of Fame!_

_Tra la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la _

_la la la la la la la la la la --- _-BANG-

* * *

A/N: Sorry this was so late but I was busy performing in a musical this week. Guess which one? Yeah. It kind of inspired this story. Also, you might be wondering about the wierd choice of characters. I chose the characters based on their personalities more than them as countries. Hope you liked this chapter! As always, please review! =]


	3. Witches, Wands and Wizards

****

Chapter 3

**Of Witches, Wands and Wizards  
**

A loud explosion and the earsplitting shrieks that followed it caught Romano's wandering attention. The centre of the courtyard was quickly being cleared; munchkins running and jumping in all directions in panic, far away from the cloud of evil green smoke billowing from the air. Romano turned his worried face towards Arthur, seeing that the latter remained unmoved, if not, perhaps a little angry. Romano inspected him closely. He did look quite angry actually. His eyes were narrowed and, although his eyebrows weren't anymore creased than usual, intense ferocity radiated from his emerald eyes. The smoke was beginning to drift now but the munchkins remained fearful, crouched over as close to the ground as they could get. Romano peered into the dissipating smoke curiously, as an image began to take form, slowly becoming more defined until Romano could just about make out who..... Arthur looked down in shock as a small squeal escaped from the Italians lips and he gripped onto Arthur, terrified.

"I-It's the bastard F-Francis." Romano whimpered concealing himself behind the angel's body, unsuccessfully out of 'Francis' sight.

"You know the Wicked Witch?" Arthur asked, taken aback. He raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't know where you are, you don't know who I am, but you know the Wicked Witch of the West." Romano just nodded, wide-eyed and fearful.

The Wicked Witch began to move towards them, the smoke swirling around him and long back cloak trailing in his wake producing a menacing aura. Romano could see now that it wasn't Francis, although the resemblance was frightfully uncanny.

"Wait a second." Romano stopped, his head tilted to the side, fear suddenly forgotten. "Why is he called a witch if he is a guy?" Arthur's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink and he cleared his throat a few times.

"Er, that would be because we used to think he was a girl and the name...just kind of stuck."

Romano sniggered, suddenly finding the witch a whole lot less frightful. At the sound of Romano's amusement, the witch turned to face him, causing Romano to flinch back once again.

"Bonjour mon cheri." The witch flashed a charming smile in his direction, his teeth pearly white. 'Where is my sister?" The other two men responded with silence, Arthur glaring daggers at him and Romano shivering ever so slightly.

"I saw her coming this way, non?" he asked again, absentmindedly picking a budding crimson rose from a nearby plant and pocketing it. Creasing his eyebrows slightly at the other men's rudeness he cried dramatically, 'Mon dieu! What is wrong with you people!"

Arthur crossed his arms and scowled at him from beneath knitted eyebrows. "Sod off you bloody wanker."

The Wicked Witch remained unfazed. "Ahh Arthur, ever the gentleman. I don't want any trouble. I just want to find my sister." He matched Arthur's deadly glower with his own defiant glare.

Romano looked from one man to the other bewilderedly. Placing his hands on his hips, he stamped his foot for attention as though he was a child throwing a tantrum. "Er Hello? Anyone remember me? I'm the guy who fell out of the fucking sky and landed in this bloody place with no way to get home."

The Wicked Witch turned his attention to Romano, sideling up to him, a teasing smile dancing on his lips. "Aren't you a feisty one? You could nearly match Arthur with your 'colourful' language." Cupping a hand under Romano's chin, he tilted Romano's face towards his own, brushing a solitary finger over his cheek slowly, completely ignoring the hostile look he received. Romano turned a bright shade of crimson, his cheeks heating up angrily, and slapped the hand away.

"W-w-what the hell are you doing, dammit!" he spluttered angrily, fists curled up into tight balls. The Wicked Witch grinned and winked at the annoyed man, causing him to fume even more.

"Leave him alone you French bastard." Arthur stepped forward to interfere. "If you must know, your sister is over there" he said begrudgingly, jerking a thumb towards Romano's house. The Wicked Witch frowned.

"Why did you feel the need to turn her into a house?"

Arthur scoffed. "Not the house, you imbecile, under the house."

Romano smiled smugly as he watched realization cross the witch's face. His mouth gaped as he tried to comprehend the situation. "Y-YOU KILLED MY SISTER! SACRE BLEU! W-w-why THE HELL did you do that" he screamed. The Witch turned to Arthur, his face livid.

"Actually_ I_ dropped a house on her." Romano said conceitedly, then seeing the look the Witch gave him, berated himself for saying so.

"You, _dropped_ a house, on my sister." The witch said, his words, although softly spoken, dripped with venom. He was circling Romano now, slowly, as though was prey. "How could anyone be so incredibly.....clumsy." Romano shivered, feeling the Witch's breath on his neck.

The Witch straightened suddenly, dusting down his robes and repositioning his hat. "Never mind!" he said cheerfully, his face transforming into his original beaming smile. He began walking towards the house. "Now I shall wear the ruby slippers!" he exclaimed, "The ruby slippers will make me more powerful than ever!" He rubbed his hands together in barely contained glee. Arthur smirked slyly.

"Not if I can help it." He waved his star wand briskly through the air, muttering incoherently, sending a small amount of sparkles issuing through the tip.

The Wicked Witch faltered mid step, turning towards Arthur, his face wrought with suspicion. "The ruby slippers are gone! What have you done with them!"

Arthur placed his hands on his hips and smiled cockily. "See for yourself." He waved a hand casually towards Romano. The Wicked Witch just stared quizzically. Arthurs smug expression was quickly replaced with his permanent scowl, annoyed that his plan to shock the Witch hadn't quite had the effect he had wanted. "Step forward!" he snapped at Romano, who was concealed behind a rose bush. Romano stepped forward tentatively, quite bewildered by the entire situation, his hazelnut eyes swimming with confusion.

"Ah-huh!" Arthur cried triumphantly, face alight with newly found joy. The Witch's face, on the other hand, had dropped, his mouth gaping open.

"T-the ruby slippers!" He lifted a finger slowly and pointed at Romano's feet, as a small murmur swelled around the munchkins.

"What the hell are you on abo-" Romano glanced down at his feet in confusion, recoiling In amazement. The ruby slippers glistened snugly on his feet, the minute red crystals reflecting the sun like thousands of tiny mirrors.

"Give them back" The Wicked Witch loomed over him causing a small yelp to escape from Romano's throat. "Give them back now." The Witch's demeanor had completely changed from the flirtatious charming man he had been before. Romano smothered another whimper as the witch glared fiercely at him from beneath coal black eyes. These mood swings were really starting to scare him.

"G-get lost dammit!" Romano said attempting to contain some of his composure. "I don't even want your fucking slippers. Take them!" he said, refusing to meet the witch's gaze, his voice unusually high pitched. Arthur's face darkened with surprising speed at Romano's outburst, his wings rising and tensing in anger.

"You bloody....undeserving......piece of..."

"Shit!" Romano cried frustrated "I can't get these off!" He was pulling hard on the slippers, turning it into a game of tug of war with the shoes, and it seemed as though the ruby slippers were winning.

Arthur smacked his face with his palm and sighed in despair. "Look, okay," he said, attempting to calm himself. "The slippers are obviously very powerful otherwise he wouldn't want them so badly. Would you stop that!" He shouted just as Romano lost his grip on the shoes and fell forward, arms and legs flailing, landing with a soft bump on the ground. Romano groaned in exasperation and brushed the dirt off his white shirt which was rolled up at the sleeves to accommodate for the change in weather from Kansas. Arthur just rolled his eyes, his expression one of pure irritation.

"You can't take them off you git! There's obviously some sort of magic which is keeping them firmly glued to your feet."

"Stay out of this Arthur!" The Wicked Witch muttered angrily. "I'll cast a spell on you!" he threatened, his deep blue eyes glaring at the angel. Arthur brushed sandy blonde hair out of his face and met the witch's gaze with his own, chuckling irritatingly.

"Hah! You don't even have any power here you bloody French twit. Get lost!" Arthur looked up to the sky and pointed in mock surprise, his eyes widened and he placed a hand over his open mouth. "Look a house is about to fall on you too!" he sniggered. The witch ducked and his eyes darted to the sky, his face alight with fear, then flushed an angry red as he realised Arthur was only teasing him. The witch's reaction caused Arthur to burst into laughter, Romano following suit.

"I will have those slippers!" The witch shouted at Romano, staring defiantly at the Italian. "You just wait. I can't do anything here but you wait, you just wait till you're all alone in the dark. Soon I'll get those slippers and my revenge too!" He cackled manically, one of the most frightful sounds Romano had ever heard. Blowing a kiss to no one in particular, he slung one leg over his wooden broom with ease, and threw the rose he had pocketed previously to Romano. With a charming wink and smile, he clicked his fingers and with a sound like the crack of a whip, he disappeared along with his broom, leaving a cloud of green smoke where his image had been.

Romano stood stunned for a few seconds, blinking repeatedly, and shaking his head. Arthur was muttering and cursing under his breath something about 'blasted wicked witch's get all the best transport' and began to move slowly around the crouched munchkins, his sandals scuffing along the dirt and unsettling small clouds of dust.

"You can get up now, he's gone" Arthur said warmly, an encouraging smile across his face. As the munchkins gradually got to their feet, Romano noted that they seemed smaller than before, or maybe he had just forgotten how tiny they actually were. Arthur turned to him, his face grave and serious.

"You do realise that you have made an enemy of the wicked witch. He will most likely come after you, so you really need to get out of Oz as soon as you can."

"What do you think I've been trying to do ever since I got here? How the hell am I even supposed to get back?" Romano asked.

Arthur looked thoughtful for a moment, staring fixedly at the sky. "Well, there is someone who might know...." he began slowly, each syllable articulated perfectly. "But he is such a blasted idiot." Arthur said this softer than before, talking more to himself then Romano. Frowning in contemplation, he sighed. "You may as well give him a chance. The Wizard of Oz has a reputation for knowing all. If you find him, he may be able to help you get back to Kansas."

"The Wizard....of Oz... Is he good or evil?" Romano asked suspiciously, he wouldn't set it past Arthur to deceive him.

"He is good..." Arthur stopped as though remembering something. "He lives in the Emerald City, quite a long way from here. I suppose you are going to have to walk."

Romano's face fell. "Walk! Are you fucking serious?"

Arthur blinked at the man. "Well unless you brought your broomstick..."

"Okay, Okay I get it." Romano muttered angrily brushing past the angel, eager to finish his long journey as soon as possible. "Hang on," he halted and turned around. "How am I supposed to know where the hell I'm going?"

Arthur stopped smoothing his feathers and looked up. "Follow the yellow brick road."

Romano just stared. "But what happens if..."

"Just follow the Yellow Brick road." Arthur stood straight, wings extended to full length. A bright orb surrounded him, causing Romano to squint to see through the blinding light. "Goodbye Romano, and good luck!" he said, with a small wave, receiving only a frown from the man.

As Romano walked towards the large golden pavers that lined up to make the road, the munchkins began to accumulate around him. "Follow...the Yellow Brick....Road..." Romano whispered to himself.

"Follow the Yellow Brick Road." The mayor stepped forward again.

"Follow the Yellow Brick Road," Said another munchkin.

"Follow th-"

"Do you guys ever shut up?" Romano shouted into the crowd, startling the munchkins, but not enough to achieve ending their song.

_Follow, follow, follow, follow_

_Follow the Yellow Brick Road_

_Follow the Yellow Brick _

_Follow the Yellow Brick _

_Follow the Yellow Brick Road_

Romano sighed heavily in defeat and began walking hastily away from the growing chorus of little voices. The twisting Yellow Brick Road began to edge away from the small village, the road seeming to lead in an endless line to nowhere, as the faint sound of the singing munchkins drifted to his ears.

_Your'e off to see the Wizard_

_The wonderful Wizard of Oz._

_

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_

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A/N: Oh look she updated! *insert suprise here* Hope you all haven't completely forgotten me yet. Sorry for taking so long, yet again! I blame exams. I'll be trying to update quicker as holidays are coming up so i'll hopefully have heaps of time. I LOVE REVIEWS so please, if you enjoyed it review! I need the encouragement. :D Note on this chapter, I didn't really like this one. I spent ages trying to redo it but I just couldn't make it any better. France proved alot harder to write than I thought.


	4. Scarecrows, Songs and Skimpy Skirts

**Chapter 4  
**

**Of Scarecrows, Songs and Skimpy Skirts  
**

The Yellow Brick Road seemed to go on for miles, the golden bricks monotonous. They became burnt onto Romano's mind, the carefully lined pavers remaining in his vision even when he glanced away.

As the day drew on, his pace became slower, losing the steady eager rhythm it began with. The distant dream that was the Emerald City remained a fixed image, the green towers wavering teasingly on the horizon. The sun blazed down from above, providing no relief from its powerful glare. He dragged his feet to a halt as the roads split into several intersections, each lined with yellow bricks. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Romano squinted up at a signpost before him.

"That way is like totally awesome."

A small voice made him jump back in fright. He looked around suspiciously, eyes narrowed.

"Who said that?" He noticed a scarecrow hanging limply from a pole in the nearby field. Her short pleated red skirt and white v necked sweater seemed as though they were made for a high school student, not some dirty old scarecrow. Actually, dirty was not the right word, as the scarecrow was impeccably clean for something that sat out in the fields all day.

"Don't be stupid" he scolded himself, "Scarecrows don't talk." He looked back towards the sign as though expecting the blank wooden sticks to tell him where to go.

"Oh my god, you like, have to go down that way too!"

Romano spun around violently, tripping over his own feet in his hurry. He fell to the ground, cursing under his breath. Brushing the dirt of his clothes, he stopped suddenly.

"Wasn't she pointing the other way before?" He peered inquisitively at the scarecrow.

"Hey I'm not a girl!" the scarecrow pouted, placing her, no, his hands on his hips defiantly, "and its sooo much easier if you just go both ways!" He flicked his shoulder-length blonde hair out of his face.

Romano did a double-take upon realizing the scarecrow was actually speaking, before recovering and scowling at the indignant blonde. "If you don't want people to think you're a girl then don't wear bloody skirts." Romano said pointedly, rolling his eyes. "What is it with this place and freaks" he muttered loudly.

The scarecrow yawned, uninterested. "You know, you would totally think I'd have worked that out by now, but, see, I don't have a brain." He sighed dramatically, gazing up at the endless azure sky dreamily.

"God, that's the most bullshit I've ever heard. How the fuck does that even work?"

The scarecrow huffed, puffing himself out in an attempt to make him look more threatening, and failing miserably. "What, you think it's like, more bullshit than a totally cool talking scarecrow?" Romano shrugged, indifferent. The scarecrow sighed again.

"Do you reckon you could like get me down or something. I have this annoying pole stuck up my back and it's like sooo not flattering," he drawled lazily, shifting around uncomfortably.

"What! I don't want you getting down. I'd rather have you and your skirt keep the fuck away from me." Romano snapped unsympathetically to the complete shock of the scarecrow, who flushed angrily at the remark.

"It's not like I like you either!" the scarecrow said crossly, glaring at Romano with all the strength he could muster from his jade green eyes. "The thing is," he began slyly, "I can totally help you out with these directions," he paused for effect, "and I'm not telling until you get me down from here" he grinned conceitedly, proud of his idea to blackmail the Italian.

Romano tapped his foot impatiently, considering his options. He looked at the intersection, each road identical to the other, a never ending path of yellow bricks. He had absolutely no idea which way to go.

"Fucking fairies are no help at all." He frowned, noting to himself that he must yell at Arthur next time he appeared.

"Fine" he said miserably, sighing in defeat. He stomped over to the scarecrow, carelessly flattening some of the corn growing in the surrounding field. He bent the nail on the back of the pole, causing the scarecrow to slip out and fall to the ground in an undignified mess. The scarecrow got to his feet, patting his hair into place and suddenly let out a loud high-pitched shriek. Romano leapt back in surprise, wincing at the powerful sound.

'WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG NOW!" he screamed, attempting to make himself heard over the scarecrows voice.

"My straw has just like, fallen out everywhere!" the scarecrow cried, waving his hands around radically, nearly knocking out a low-flying crow. Romano grabbed his arms forcefully, realizing that the thin-framed man was actually stronger than he looked.

"Calm down, dammit!" he muttered through gritted teeth, pinning his arms by his side in an attempt to stop the crazed blonde. He bent down, gathering a bundle of discarded straw and handed it to the scarecrow. "Hurry up" he prompted the gawking scarecrow.

"Oh my gosh, you actually, like, did something nice for me," the scarecrow's mouth widened in a disbelieving smile. He giggled lightly. "And, your blushing!" he teased, poking Romano's nose.

Romano scowled, feeling his blush deepen, the tips of his ears turning pink. "Stop it you bastard!" He crossed his arms and hung his head, trying to hide his burning face. "Er, so what was that shit you where saying about having no brain?"

The scarecrow stood up suddenly at this, pleased he could be the center of attention. The abrupt movement caused his legs to buckle beneath him and he landed with a bump on the dirt, straw strewed over the field again. Now it was Romano's turn to smirk as the scarecrow coloured in embarrassment. He stood up again, teetering as he leant backwards, trying to regain stable footing. He staggered onto the road, twirling around almost gracefully before landing on the ground, spilling even more straw. He hastily picked it up and began to replace it.

"Now I can totally see why they put me on a pole" he muttered. He got to his feet again with a small sway and began to sing.

_I could while away the hours_

_Conferring with the flowers  
Consulting with the rain_

Romano stared blankly at the scarecrow.

_  
And my head I'd be scratching while  
my thoughts were busy hatching  
If I only had a brain._

Romano inhaled deeply. "Here we go with the freaking singing again" he said to quietly himself.

_  
I'd unravel every riddle  
__For any individual  
In trouble or in pain_

Romano snorted and sung sarcastically,

_  
With the thoughts you'll be thinking  
you could be another Lincoln  
If you only had a brain._

The scarecrow ignored him, crossing his legs daintily and sitting on the floor.

_Oh, I could tell you why The ocean's near the shore.  
I could think of things I never thought before.  
And then I'd sit, and think some more._

Romano, deciding he was bored by this, began to walk away from the singing scarecrow.

"Hey!" The scarecrow cried out, "You didn't let me finish my song!" Romano acknowledged him by sticking up his finger crudely. The blonde ran after him, walking quickly to match his stride. "So like, where are you going anyway?" Romano pointed towards the Emerald City.

"Ahh, well you like, might want to go on the other path then" the scarecrow said with a small laugh. Romano sighed and turned around, beginning to walk in the other direction, the scarecrow following in pursuit.

"So, why are you going there?" The scarecrow looked at him curiously. Romano bit back his annoyance at the talkative scarecrow.

"I'm going to see the Wizard. I need to get out of this shithole as soon as possible" he replied. The scarecrow whistled softly at this.

"You're going to see a wizard?" Romano grunted in agreement. "Do you reckon this Wizard would give me some brains?"

Romano shrugged, "Maybe. It couldn't make you any worse." The scarecrow huffed, but then nodded his head.

"Yeah, I suppose your right." He re adjusted his red barrette.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Romano stopped suddenly, "I have a crazy witch after me and he's trying to kill me, so... maybe you shouldn't come?" Romano added the last bit a little too hopefully.

The scarecrow stood taller, eyes glinting in determination. "I'm totally not afraid of no witch!" he said, as though daring someone to contradict him. "I'm not afraid of anything!" he said haughtily.

Romano considered this for a moment and then said slyly.

"What about a lighted match?"

The scarecrow shuddered in obvious displeasure. "Oh yeah, except for that."

The scarecrow regained his 'tough' composure. "But I'd totally face zillions of them if I could get some brains." He turned to face Romano, "To Oz!" he said, lips quirking into a smile.

"To Oz" Romano responded halfheartedly.

The scarecrow smiled deviously, obviously finding pleasure in annoying the Italian, and opened his mouth in song.

_We're off to see the Wizard  
__The wonderful Wizard of Oz  
We hear he is a whiz of a wiz  
__If ever a wiz there was_

Romano quickened his pace, trying to get away from the singing scarecrow, but it was in vain.

_If ever oh ever a wiz there was  
__The Wizard of Oz is one because  
Because, because, because, because, because...  
__Because of the wonderful things he does_

Romano grimaced to himself, painfully aware that this journey was going to be a lot longer than he had expected.

The two unlikely companions set off for their destination, the golden path stretching endlessly before them as they began their journey.

_We're off to see the Wizard_

_The wonderful Wizard of Oz_

**

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**

**A/N : See! I can update! :D I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review! I was so happy getting so many last week, all the welcome back comments made me smile. I love you guys! XD The formatting for this has nearly reduced me to tears. Its impossible to do. For some reason when I save it, it always changes.... Note on this chapter, I don't really like writing Poland so ditzy cause I reckon Poland is alot smarter than people give him credit for, it just sort of fit better with the idea of having no brain if I wrote him like that. Poland/Romano is now my new favourite crack pairing. XD  
**

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	5. Flame, Fire and French Witches

**Chapter 5  
**

**Of Flame, Fire and French Witches  
**

As the road drew on, the placement of the trees became less disperse, gradually enclosing the pair under their looming branches. Only small specs of light trickled through the foliage and dotted the undergrowth with light. Romano was thankful for this, happy to be finally protected from the blazing sun he had been exposed to all day. The Scarecrow had stopped whining after Romano had snapped and threatened to set him on fire. He was surprised to find he didn't actually hate the company, finding walking more tolerable with someone by his side, even if it _was_ a transvestite scarecrow. Of course, this was something he would never care to admit.

Romano winced as his stomach quivered, letting out a low growl. "Eurgh, I need to eat" he moaned, clutching his stomach with both hands. The Scarecrow cocked his head one side curiously.

"How come I don't need to eat?" he paused, eyebrows creasing in worry, "Does that like mean I'm not actually alive!" he asked, looking to Romano for reassurance.

Romano scratched his head. "Um, you seem lively enough" he said unconvincingly, but enough to satisfy the Scarecrow. He halted, pointing into the clearing which had just appeared ahead. "Look, apples!" he said, stomach responding with another yearning growl.

Apple trees were scattered unevenly throughout the clearing, their short branches eagerly attempting to grasp a ray of sunshine. The Scarecrow walked over to a tree and plucked an apple from its lowest branch. He inspected it closely, prodding it suspiciously.

"These things are so weird" he said. He wrinkled his nose in distaste and threw it over his shoulder carelessly, letting out a yelp as a tree branch whipped around and struck him across the wrist.

"What do you think your doing?" the tree snapped.

Romano rolled his eyes, and raised his hands in disbelief. "Are you serious? Talking trees now?" He sighed, these things didn't quite have the same affect anymore after seeing a crazy man-angel and cross-dressing, talking scarecrow. The Scarecrow pouted, nursing his smarting wrist tenderly.

Romano turned to the tree, hands on his hips boldly. "Im hungry" he said shortly.

"He's hungry" the tree snickered.

"He's hungry" another echoed teasingly.

"How would you like someone to come along and pick something off you?"

Romano selected the closest apple and threw it up in the air before catching it skillfully. "Fuck off you oversized twig" he grumbled, hurling the apple at the tree.

"Why you little-" the tree spluttered angrily. It began to throw handfuls of apples at the pair, the other trees following suit, sending the small red fruits plummeting towards them, littering the grass below. The Scarecrow's eyes widened as he dodged the airborne apples.

"What did you do that for!" he hissed.

Romano smiled slyly and gestured for him to copy. "I bet your apples taste like shit anyway." He said loudly, bundling the apples into his arms. The Scarecrow just stared at him blankly as the trees let out a roar and sent a fresh torrent of apples hurtling towards them. Romano's arms were becoming quite full of apples before a smile of realization began to widen on the Scarecrows face. He began to pile apples into his own arms

"How do you like them apples?" one of the trees sneered at them.

The Scarecrow grinned, emerald eyes glinting mischievously. "We totally like them" he said, grabbing a handful off the grass.

The trees suddenly stopped, their attack cut short upon the realization at what Romano and the Scarecrow were doing. Their branches drooped.

"They've made fools of us all" one said forlornly.

"Damn right." Romano bit greedily into an apple, the juice dripping down his chin.

"Hey look Romano!" the Scarecrow called to him from behind a tree, "There's like a man made of steel or something." Romano frowned and walked over, discarding his apple carelessly behind him. Concealed behind one of the apple trees was a man made out of tin, his expression and movement frozen in time. Romano examined him closely. The joints were dusted with red rust, making the man seem much older than he probably was. A small label was indented into the tin which read in small capital letters, "IKEA". Romano poked at his rusted jaws and leapt back as the man made a disgruntled sound.

"Ooyl cn"

The Scarecrow turned to Romano. "Did he just say something?"

"OOYL CN!"

Romano looked thoughtful. "I think he said oil can." His hazel eyes wandered over his surroundings before spotting a rusting oil can resting sideways, hidden beneath the long grass. He bent forward and picked it up, carefully jabbing the corners of the Tinman's mouth. The oil trickled forward, and the Tinman circled his jaw in relief.

"Thanks" he muttered, " 'M so glad t' be able t' move 'gain."

Romano continued to oil his limbs, his axe-wielding arm falling to his side with a clank. The Tinman let out a sigh of contentment.

"That feels wond'rful."

The Scarecrow tapped Romano. "Oil his mouth more. He still can't talk properly."

Romano shook his head. "I... think that's just how he talks normally." The Tinman nodded in agreement.

The scarecrow stood back to admire their work. "Well then you look totally perfect now."

The Tinman slouched slightly, his expression remaining stoic. "Perfct? Just bang 'n my chest 'f y' think that."

The Scarecrow looked quizzical but reached forward, lightly tapping on his tin chest. An echo rebounded throughout his body.

"'s 'mpty. Th' tinsmth f'got t' give m' a heart."

The Scarecrow's eyes widened, "No heart?" he whispered dramatically.

Romano scoffed, "Oh great, another one missing some sort of vital organ. What's IKEA by the way?"

The Tinman ignored him, a lot of people seemed to be ignoring Romano lately.

" 'S long as I g't no heart, I can nev'r love 'nywn." The scarecrow was staring intensely at the Tinman and let out small gasp as the Tinman finished, clasping a hand over his mouth.

"That's like the saddest thing I have ever heard." A small tear slipped from his eye and he brushed it away deliberately, exaggerating his sympathy.

"God help us" Romano muttered.

The Tinman began to sing, if you could call it that, though it sounded more like grunting.

_When a man's 'n 'mpty kettle  
he should be 'n his m'ttle  
'nd yet 'm torn 'part  
Just because 'm presumn'  
that I could be kind-a-'uman  
'f I 'nly had a heart_

_I'd b' tender - I'd be gentle  
'nd awful sent'mental  
Regardin' Love 'nd 'rt  
I'd be friends with th' sparrows  
'nd th' boys wh' shoots th' arrows  
'f I 'nly had a heart._

Romano placed his fingers in his ears. "I can't even understand a fucking word you're saying" he said rudely. The Tinman stared at him, power radiating from his electric cobalt eyes. Romano shuddered beneath his glare. "Um, okay you can go on" he said quickly. The Tinman shrugged, unconcerned.

" 've forgott'n th' words now."

The Scarecrow burst into uncalled for applause. "That was so awesome! You should totally come with us to the Emerald City and ask the Wizard for a heart!"

"H' mightn't g've m' a heart."

Romano nodded slowly, "Yeah Scarecrow..." he said emphatically "we wouldn't want him to be overwhelmed with so many requests." He stared forcefully at the scarecrow.

The Scarecrow glared at Romano. "He will totally give you a heart. I mean, we've come so far already, he couldn't like, just send us away."

There was a sudden explosion causing Romano to blink blindly from the flash of light.

"You call that long?" a familiar voice sneered.

Romano backed away steadily. "Shit, it's the wicked witch" he hissed to the bewilderment of the Tinman and Scarecrow.

The Tinman frowned, "You c'st a sp'll 'n 'm axe!" he muttered darkly. The Wicked Witch flashed him a devious grin.

"Why, you remember mon cheri." The Tinman clenched his fists, his face remaining passive. Romano's eyes narrowed.

'W-what do you want!" he said, wincing as his voice cracked. Why was it that he could never sound as strong as he wanted. Fucking movies made it seem so easy.

The Witch chuckled, his lips forming into a thin smile. "I want you," he said, pointing accusingly at the Tinman and Scarecrow, "to stop helping my... feisty toy." He trailed a finger along Romano's chest suggestfully.

The Scarecrow stepped between the spluttering Italian and the Wicked Witch defensively. "Im totally not afraid of you," he challenged, emerald eyes alight with defiance.

A playful glint flickered in the Witch's sapphire eyes. "Hah! That just proves how brainless you actually are!" he jeered. He repositioned his body so that he was more stable, legs placed evenly apart. Bringing his arm backwards he grinned, "Want to play ball?' he said slyly. His hand glowed for a second before a burning fireball came shooting towards them, sparks spitting from the tumbling flames.

The Scarecrow let out a shout as his straw was ignited, the flames rapidly spreading across the perfect fuel his body provided. He patted the flames frantically, dropping to the ground and rolling to successfully extinguish the fire. The smell of burning straw reached Romano's nose and he coughed in disgust.

The Witch sneered, "You won't be safe forever Scarecrow!" He gave Romano his signature wink, followed by a deafening explosion and another flash of light, the Witch vanishing into the depths of the forest, telltale green smoke clouding in his wake.

The Scarecrow crossed his arms and sniffed. "Im not afraid of him, still," he added. "I want a brain and no Witch can stop me." His stared fiercely out at the others.

The Tinman stood straight, hand clasped tightly around his faithful axe and nodded curtly. " 'm too'

Romano's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "I swear I know you guys from somewhere." He ran his fingers through his hair. 'Argh, I'm going fucking crazy. I need help."

The Scarecrow raised a slender eyebrow and snorted. "I think it's a bit late for that" he muttered receiving a violent glare from Romano. He coughed deliberately, asking for attention and smiled as he felt all eyes on him.

"Weeeee're..."

"Shit!" Romano swore, letting out a sigh of exasperation. He stormed away, closely followed by a loud chorus of "We're off to see the Wizard." To his complete astonishment, the Tinman even joined in, his low voice coinciding well with the Scarecrow. The three set off deeper into the forest. The light which trickled in before was now reduced to scarcely anything; the minute specs which did persist, were blurred and only just visible. The noises of the forest echoed loudly around them, their sounds maximized by the eerie atmosphere. As they ventured further, the shadows grew longer, concealing unfamiliar animals which slunk in the darkness.

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**  
A/N : Argh... It hasn't been as easy as I hoped it would be to update in the holidays. Anyway.... I love Sweden. He's such a great character, although, his dialogue is a bit confusing to write. I love how you guys are trying to guess all the characters. XD Theres only one more left though! Lets try and get to 20 reviews by this chapter guys! YEAH! ;D If you read it, like it, REVIEW IT!..... please. :D**


	6. Sleep, Snow and Spooky Forests

**Chapter 6  
**

**Of Sleep, Snow and Spooky forests**

As the road lead them even further, a great sense of unease settled on the group. The forest was spookily quiet, the only sound being the dead leaves crunching beneath their feet and the occasional high pitched scream of a monkey. Romano kept his head down, fixed intensely on the road ahead, trying to erase all thoughts about what lurked beyond the dark shadows. The Scarecrow kept glancing behind them suddenly, his green eyes large and frightened. He kept close to the Tinman, the only one who had a sharp weapon. The Tinman didn't seem to be as unnerved as the others although a bead of sweat glistened on his brow. His mouth remained in a thin line, his jaw clenched tightly. The Scarecrow let out a small whimper as a bird called from above, the low sound reverberating through the forest. He reached out and grabbed the Tinman's arm forcefully.

"I-I don't like this forest" he whispered as though frightened he would be overheard. "Its-its dark and totally creepy!"

Romano yawned, apparently unconcerned. "Hah! Its only a forest!" he said, before leaping backwards as a shriek echoed overhead, crashing into the Tinman and the Scarecrow. "Wha-what was that!" He looked around nervously, huddling close to the others.

"You're scared too!" The Scarecrow said triumphantly.

"I am not!" Romano folded his arms but his eyes continued to dart around. "Do you think we'll see any wild animals?" he asked, his voice unsteady.

The Tinman nodded. "Mmm" The Scarecrow gulped fearfully.

"Ones that like, eat straw?"

The Tinman looked considerate and then shook his head. "Mostly Lions 'nd tigers 'nd bears."

Romano's head whipped around. "Lions?"

"and Tigers?" The Scarecrow bit his lip.

The Tinman nodded. "'nd bears!"

"Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!" The Scarcrow shuddered helplessly.

"Lions, tigers and bears, shit!" Romano groaned.

"Lions, tigers 'nd bears." The Tinman reinforced unhelpfully.

A twig snapped up ahead and the sound of rustling grew closer. A loud, ferocious roar greeted their ears as a shaggy lion burst through the bushes. The three companions halted dead in their tracks, frightened any movement might provoke it. The Lion arched its back and inspected his find, bright blue eyes a lot less fearsome then the rest of his appearance. He began to circle them, tail flicking daintily forwards and back, feet padding softly on the forest floor. He stood up, his paws curling into fists, and eyes narrowing.

"Put 'em up! Put 'em up!" He danced around them, punching the air. "I'll... I'll fight you all if I have to! I can even fight you with my eyes closed!" he said, closing one eye to establish his point. The Tinman held out his axe protectively, making a barrier between the Lion and the others. The Lion eyed the Tinman and drew back, suddenly fearful.

"I-im sorry! Im sorry! I should have known I could never pull anything like that." He sat down, hunching over miserably. "I-im just a coward really." He sniffed, eyes filling with tears. He wiped them away with a golden paw, shaking his mop of blonde mane. He looked over at the Tinman before shuddering visibly.

"S-scary.... so scary..." he murmured to himself softly. The Tinman, oblivious to how much he was scaring the Lion, walked over and sat down beside him.

"It's 'kay" he muttered, and then to everyone's complete surprise, placed an arm around him, the kind motion unfortunately only causing him to shiver more violently, blue eyes darting to the Tinman in anxiety.

Romano raised an eyebrow at the Tinman. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strange lions?" he said with a short laugh.

The Tinman tightened his grip around the Lion's shoulders. " 'M wife."

Romano burst into laughter seeing the Lion's eyes widen in pure horror. "W-what are you talking about?" the Lion stuttered but the Tinman remained silent. The Lion placed his head in his paws deciding to brush off the Tinman's absurd claim as an attempt at a friendly gesture.

"I-Im such a sa-sad excuse for a lion" he said shifting uncomfortably, still painfully aware of the Tinman beside him.

The Scarecrow walked closer. "At least you're not like, missing a brain or something" he said reassuringly, green eyes sympathetic.

"But, it's nearly just as bad. I mean, what is a lion without courage?" he sniveled, moving further away from the Tinmans embrace.

Romano sighed despairingly. "I suppose that you want to come with us to see the Wizard to get some courage etcetera, etcetera. I know the drill by now." He dropped to the floor tiredly. The Lion's eyes lit up.

"Your'e going to see a Wizard? Do you really think he could give me some courage?" he asked, so excited that the Tinman edging closer went unnoticed.

"'If that's what 'y want, 'm sure he will" the Tinman said impassively. The Lion chanced another glance at the Tinman unsure of what to make of him and then looked at the ground.

"A-and you wouldn't be embarrassed to be friends with a cowardly lion? I know I would." He bit his lip.

The Tinman shook his head in the negative.

The Scarecrow beamed. "Of course not!"

Romano just shrugged, defeated. "Well, you can't be worse than the other two."

The Lion smiled shyly. "Thank you. That's really nice of you. My life has just been horrible. I haven't even slept in weeks. I mean," he paused, fiddling with his tail, "I even scare myself sometimes" he mumbled quietly.

Romano raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I take back what I said before about you being better than the others."

The Scarecrow glared at him and then smiled sweetly at the Lion. "Like, don't worry about it. It's going to be totally fine after we see the wizard."

The Lion nodded sadly at the Scarecrow.

_Yes, it's sad, believe me, Missy_

The Scarecrow didn't know whether he was joking or not but decided to take it in good humor.

_When you're born to be a sissy  
Without the vim and verve.  
But I could show my prowess_

_be a lion not a mou-ess  
If I only had the nerve_

_I'm afraid there's no denyin'_

_I'm just a dandelion  
A fate I don't deserve  
I'd be brave as a blizzard...._

The Tinman grunted.

_I'd be gentle as a lizard...._

The Scarecrow tapped his head.  
_  
I'd be clever as a gizzard...._

Romano looked apprehensive.

_If the Wizard is a Wizard who will serve_

The Scarecrow smirked at Romano and crossed his arms.  
_  
Then I'm sure to get a brain,_

The Tinman nodded.  
_  
a heart,_

Romano sighed.  
_  
a home,_

The Lion stood up determinedly.  
_  
the nerve!_

The Scarecrow linked arms with the Lion and the Tinman, the Lion linking up with Romano. He grinned defiantly at Romano and opened his mouth, singing loudly.

_Oh, we're off to see the Wizard  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz  
We hear he is a whiz of a Wiz  
If ever a Wiz there was._

If ever, oh ever a Wiz there was  
The Wizard of Oz is one because  
Because, because, because, because, because  
Because of the wonderful things he does

We're off to see the Wizard  
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!

* * *

"Thank god we are finally out of that fucking forest!" Romano exclaimed in relief, looking up at the sun as though it was his savior. They were back in the open now, the smell of sweet flowers carried by the teasing breeze.

The Scarecrow gasped excitedly. "Oooh look! Aren't they like, the prettiest poppies you have ever seen!" he said, pointing at the sea of tall flowers dancing before them.

"We can g' through 'em for a shortcut if y' like."

Romano looked at the flowers hesitantly. "Wouldn't there be bees or something?" He knelt down and examined one closely, sneezing as the pollen drifted up his nose.

The Lion poked one daintily and smiled as it bounced to and fro. "I think poppies are my favourite flower" he said happily. He began to follow behind the others as they waded through the mass of poppies, the flowers almost half his height. The Tinman plucked a few from the ground, clutching them delicately between his silver fingers and offered them to the Lion.

"Do y' like 'em?" he asked, his lips turning up at the corners in a small smile, the only glimpse of emotion he had let the others witness to date.

The Lion blushed and accepted the poppies meekly. "Umm, thanks Tinman" He looked up shyly at the tall man who for once, actually looked a bit vulnerable. Romano shook his head and pointed a finger into his open mouth in a gagging motion, showing his disgust. The Scarecrow ignored Romano and grinned at the pair gleefully, staring at them with wide hopeful eyes.

The Lion bit his lip nervously, the moment becoming a little too much for him and changed the subject.

"D-does anyone else hear that singing?"

"I can hear it too." The Scarecrow looked around, "Its sounds like it's from heaven or something."

Romano swayed, unsteady on his feet. "W-whats happening?" he said, his voice sounding slightly slurred, "I feel so... tired..... I can't walk....." He yawned, stretching his arms far above his head and sat down amongst the flowers which towered over him.

The Tinman reached out towards him. "We'll pull y' along if y' want."

Romano shook his head, eyelids drooping. "Na, I'll just...lie here for a minute..." He curled up on a bed of poppies, seeming so peaceful in comparison with his usual self. He breathed softly, chest rising and falling rhythmically, a small smile etched on his face.

The Scarecrow shuddered in discomfort. "This isn't right. We have to go Romano!" He tried to pull him to his feet but his legs remained slackened and wouldn't support him. The Lion yawned loudly.

"Actually, sleep sounds really nice right about now." He flopped to the ground contentedly.

The Tinman's eyes widened as the Lion began to snore and he narrowed his cobalt eyes.

"The poppies" he said shortly but it was enough for the Scarecrow to understand.

The Scarecrow's hand flew to his mouth. "It's totally a spell. I bet it's like that bitchy witch that showed up before." He looked around desperately, trying to find some way to undo the magic. "HELP, HELP" he shouted, the sound of his voice swallowed up in the vast open space.

* * *

Arthur was baking scones when his magical orb began to glow, causing him to jump in fright and upset the tray, scattering them all over the floor, which, considering they were an unnatural black color, was probably not the worst thing in the world.

"Bloody hell, I bet it's that cranky kid again" He cursed as he tried to pick a scone up, the freshly baked food burning his fingers. He strode over to his orb angrily and dropped into a chair, tapping his wand on the table in irritation.

"What? What is it?" he said, rolling his eyes. An image began to appear on the surface of the orb, drifting hazily as though it was a dream. The shouts from the Scarecrow pleading for help reached his ears and Arthur frowned.

"God, it's that fucking frog again isn't it. Well I'll show him!" He grinned slyly and waved his wand around viciously as though he was trying to stab the witch. The globe began to turn white as snow fell from the tip of the wand and onto the field of poppies, blanketing them in the glistening powder. Arthur crossed his arms in satisfaction.

"That'll show him"

* * *

The Scarecrow blinked in astonishment, gazing in awe at the sight around him.

"Oh my god, it's like, snowing!"

Romano sat up suddenly, rubbing his eyes groggily. "F-fuck. What just happened?"

The Lion got to his feet, shivering a little from the cold. "What w-weird weather we are h-having." He glanced around but stopped when he saw the Tinman.

"Oh no! It looks like he's rusted!"

The Scarecrow promptly walked over and jabbed the oil can between his stiff joints and the Tinman began circling them in relief.

Romano stood up, a rare smile across his face. "Look the Emerald city!" he cried, pointing a finger towards the tall green skyscrapers. "We're finally almost there!"

The Scarecrow sighed in wonder, his eyes drinking in the sight before him greedily. "It's so beautiful" he whispered, amazed. He turned to the others. "Come on! Let's get there as soon as we can!"

The Tinman nodded and the Lion gave a small smile. "What are we waiting for!"

"On to Oz!"

"To Oz!"

"To Oz!"

The Lion pointed one paw towards the city

_We're off to see...._

The Scarecrow grinned in joy

_We're off to see...._

The Tinman placed one foot forward

_We're off to see....._

And Romano – brushing it off as excitement to get home- finally decided to sing too

_We're off to see the Wizard_

They all began to walk towards the city.

_The wonderful Wizard of Oz_**

* * *

**

**A/N: Er... yes updates *coughs* well... *runs away* I'm really sorry guys! I've had my School Certificate exams and my violin is exam is this week and yes... excuses, excuses but...YAY WE REACHED 20 REVIEWS! Thanks for all of them! I love you guys heaps!**

**Okay, so you're probably sitting there going 'WHUT!' right now at the choice of Finland as the Lion (and yes, if you couldn't tell it is supposed to be Finland) Okay, reasons. Well, first of all I knew immediately I wanted Poland as the Scarecrow. Tinman was a bit harder, I had a few options for that so I compared it with my options for the Lion and then I decided that it could be Sweden and Finland. I wanted to do the interactions between them and I wanted at least some of the cast to have some sort of relationship together from Hetalia, I mean otherwise the casting choice would just be way too random. And, yeah, sorry if you don't like SuFin, I'm not actually going to explore that much I promise! Also, if you were a clever cookie you could work out that waaay back in chapter 1 the three farmhands are... Poland, Sweden and Finalnd. Once I wrote chapter one I was kinda locked in for those characters because they are supposed to be the later Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion. So yes, there were other, possibly better choices for the Lion but those are my reasons for choosing Finland. **

**Oh and guess what! THAT'S THE END OF ACT 1! (In my musical score anyway)**


	7. Green cities, Guards and Gorgeous shoes

**Chapter 7**

**Of Green cities, Guards and Gorgeous, no, God awful ruby slippers**

The emerald walls of the city loomed high, slender towers reaching haughtily towards the sun, the tallest of the skyscrapers daintily pricking the sky. The sun glinted off the city at every possible angle and curve so that it was reflected in flashing lights, a mystical and remote haven. As they approached, Romano felt himself slowing down, his eyes dancing around the sight before him in wonder. The Scarecrow let out a soft whistle.

"Have you like, ever seen anything so totally gorgeous?"

Romano nodded silently, too awestruck to be disagreeable. He snapped his mouth closed as he realised it had dropped open.

Blue eyes scanned over the vivid bricks and the Lion smiled.

"The walls are so high..." he trailed off, stumbling backwards as his neck craned higher.

The Tinman walked up to the gate, a larger than life structure of intricate green spirals, weaving and twisting along delicate poles set firmly in an arch shape. He reached out, tin against metal, cold fingers trailing over the curves of the gate.

"Ring th' bell." It was more of a statement then an order but the Lion padded forward timidly, his wariness of the Tinman had been gradually decreasing since they first met. The bell was an old fashioned sort, brass and oversized with a rope hanging from the center. The Lion tugged at it.

-DING DONG-

The doorbell boomed through the otherwise deserted area, the sound amplified in the silence. The Lion clamped a hand over his heart in fright, golden bangs of mane unsettling and falling over his eyes.

"WHO RANG THAT BELL!"

The Lion started again, his breathing quick and uneven. "D-don't do that!" he said to the unknown speaker, "You scared me!"

A rectangle carved into the wall was removed, around eye level and a cheerful man looked through.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you but, didn't you see the notice?" he asked, frowning out from eyes the same shade of green as the walls.

"What?" Romano said, glancing around for writing.

"The notice!" the man repeated again.

Romano scowled at him. "There is no fucking notice."

The man opened the gate revealing a striking outfit made of matching green, a light flowing robe and a tall emerald top hat which sat deliberately slightly tilted to one side of his wavy brunette hair. He scanned up and down the wall still with the small crease in his forehead. He turned to the others and beamed, proudly displaying pearly white teeth.

"So sorry! Just a minute!" He slid back through the gate, disappearing for only a moment before he slapped a large sign onto the bricks and promptly shut the gate after him.

The Scarecrow squinted at the cursive writing and read out loud.

"Bell out of order...please knock."

Romano spluttered. "B-but that doesn't even make sense!" He stomped over to the gate and rapped on it sharply, "Get out here you fucking moron!" The man reappeared wearing the same friendly grin.

"That's better! So, um, state your business!" he paused for a moment, "Oh and I'm the guard by the way. The guard of the Emerald City" he said proudly, slapping a hand to his chest, "I'm kinda new to this" he added as an afterthought.

Romano sniffed. "You don't say...." Irritating, cheerful, clueless, this guy kind of reminded him of Antonio. Romano bit his lip. He missed home, the wide grassy paddocks underneath a golden streaked horizon, the smell of hay in the mornings and the never ceasing murmur of the animals. But, he definitely did not miss Antonio. No definitely not. No way. Absolutely not.

Well, maybe just a little bit.

His cheeks flushed with a pinkish tinge, damn those traitorous thoughts. The guard blinked at him and chuckled.

"You know, you kind of look like a tomato."

Romano's eyes widened before he shook his head in disbelief, stomping inside the city, brushing past the guard in annoyance.

"Hey! You didn't tell me why you are here!"

"We want to see the Wizard!" all four of them stated at exactly the same time.

The Guard looked nervous all of a sudden. He brought a hand to his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "Oh-uh-the Wizard? Well, nobody is allowed to see the great Oz. Nobody has ever been allowed to see the great Oz!" He smiled sadly. "I've never even seen him."

Romano narrowed his eyes. "What! Nobody had seen him! How the fuck are we even supposed to know that there even is a Wizard!" He placed his hands on his hips and looked angrily at the guard. "If we came here for nothing I swear I'll fucking-"

"There's a Wizard" the guard interrupted, placing a hand on Romano's shoulder to calm him. "I mean, if there wasn't a Wizard....why would you be here?" His overly joyous grin returned, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he wasn't making any sense.

Romano looked at him in exasperation. He opened his mouth a few times before closing it when he couldn't find any words to voice his annoyance and instead threw his hands in the air and groaned loudly. Yep, definitely Antonio.

The Scarecrow fluttered his eyelashes and demonstrated the largest doe eyes Romano thought was humanly possible. "Oh please Mr. Guard, may we like, see the Wizard." He smiled sweetly smoothing down his short skirt, "The Britannia Angel sent us!"

The Guard looked apprehensive. "Well, can you prove it?"

The Scarecrow pointed drastically at Romano's feet. "See! He is wearing the totally gorgeous ruby slippers that the angel gave him!"

Romano's mouth twitched in irritation. He had forgotten about those god awful slippers.

The guard's mouth shaped into a small 'o'. "They are gorgeous "he said in admiration, glancing down at the glistening red jewels. He let out a small laugh. "Are those high heels?" He grinned teasingly at Romano who punched him, quite hard, on his arm.

"Shut up bastard. I can't get them off if you must know"

The Guard's grin didn't falter, in fact, it possibly grew wider. "Whatever you say. You should have told me that you were sent by the Britannia Angel before, although, I do warn you, the Great Oz doesn't exactly get on too well with him..."

The gate clicked and swung back to reveal a city just as beautiful on the inside as it was out. The Guard noticed the wonder on their faces and opened his arms wide, gesturing to them to enter.

"Welcome to the Emerald City!"

"Thank you!" The Lion said politely, tugging at his own tail lightly uneasily. The Tinman nodded in agreement.

"Have you come far" the guard asked, leaning casually against the emerald bricks.

"So very far "Romano answered, not really listening as he drank in the sight before him.

The guard shook his head in empathy. "Believe me, this place is worth it."

The Scarecrow sighed. "I have totally tried to imagine it but, I like, don't have a brain."

"They said I'd fall 'n love with it, 'f I 'nly had a heart."

"I don't need to have courage here because there nothing to be afraid of!" the Lion said gleefully.

A bustle of noise reached their ears as shopkeepers began to set up stalls, crowds began to merge and the city became alive. Emerald cloaks whirled around them twisting around the legs of the wearers, green hats shot high above the crowds as did the hairstyles of the ladies which, seemed to almost defy gravity. The shouts of merchants trading goods, buyers haggling prices and shopkeepers advertising their wares united to form an atmosphere of excitement, sounds of cheerful laughs constantly interrupting conversations.

The guard turned to them, swirling his cloak behind him and opened his mouth in song.

_Ha - ha – ha_

_Ho - ho - ho _

_And a couple of tra - la - las  
That's how we laugh the day away_

_In the Merry Old Land of Oz!_

_  
Bzz - bzz - bzz, Chirp - chirp - chirp _

_And a couple of La - di - das  
That's how the crickets crick all day_

_In the Merry Old Land of Oz!_

He walked forward, leaning down next to a citizen as though he was talking to him.

_We get up at twelve and start to work at one  
Take an hour for lunch and then at two we're done_

The Ozian smiled and sang back

_  
Jolly good fun!_

The guard had now conjured up a small following of citizens who were dancing without a care behind him.

_Ha - ha - ha, Ho - ho - ho _

_And a couple of tra - la - las  
That's how we laugh the day away_

_In the Merry Old Land of Oz!_

"W-wow its amazing!" The Lion stuttered, for once, not out of fear but marvel.

Romano forced himself to frown. "When do we get to see the Wizard?"

The Scarecrow nodded. "Yeah, like, will you take us to him?"

The Guard's eyes twinkled happily. "Of course! But first, I'll take you where you can tidy up a bit, 'ey?" He lifted his long staff in the air and began to walk off through the leaf green cobblestones, twisting through the masses of people. They were led inside a large building, the roof above a sparkling and shimmering green, the floor, polished and shiny. The Scarecrow squealed in surprise as a small group of girls, dressed in cute dresses with short bouncy plaits came and sat him onto a chair, wheeling him around, spinning the Scarecrow into the center of the room. They smiled, most of them showing dimples.

_Here we rush_

_With soap and brush_

_To make you clean and fair_

They began to brush his hair, polish his nails and stuff him with fresh straw. The Scarecrow had relaxed now after his initial shock and began to tell the beauticians where he needed the most work, sighing about how his fingernails were utterly ruined. The beauticians sang in a sweet unison.

_Pat, pat here_

_Pat, pat there_

_And a couple of brand new straws_

_That's how we keep you young and fair_

_In the merry old land of Oz!_

While the Scarecrow had been getting his makeover, the others had all been pulled into similar chairs, each with their own specialists. The Tinman was surrounded by men, polishing and buffing his body so that it shone like diamonds.

_Rub, rub here_

_Rub, rub there_

_Whether you're tin or brass  
That's how we keep you in repair_

_In the Merry Old Land of Oz!_

The Tinman even seemed to have a small smile on his face although; it may have only been a trick of the light.

Romano protested loudly as his group of attendees tried to make him sit on a chair. In the end, they picked him up, the petite ladies surprisingly strong, and pushed him onto his chair. A disheveled looking Romano became surrounded by exhausted beauticians, their previously perfect hair unsettled and their cheeks pink from exertion. They began to sing, although, not quite as wholeheartedly as their previous associates.

_We can make a dimple smile out of a frown_

Romano scoffed and put on a high falsetto voice, battering his eyelashes in an uncanny resemblance of the Scarecrow.

_Can you even dye my eyes to match my gown? _

The beauticians, oblivious to the sarcasm, smiled at him and nodded animatedly.

_Uh-huh!_

The Lion sat sprawled in his chair, the girls who were helping him had to force him on so now he sat awkwardly with his paws clenched tightly around the arms. He looked at them nervously but as he saw the others enjoying their unique makeovers, he calmed a little. The girls surrounding him began to trim at his claws, sharpening them to an perfect point.

_Clip, clip here_

_Clip, clip there_

_We give the roughest claws_

The Lion watched them happily and sang.

_That certain air_

_of savoir faire_

_In the Merry Old Land of Oz!_

The Scarecrow blew at his nails, drying his nail polish and joined in song.

_Ha - ha - ha – _

The Tinman got to his feet, newly oiled joints moving without a creak or groan and matched the Scarecrows voice.

_Ho - ho - ho –_

Romano slumped in his chair, folding his arms across his chest and sung unenthusiastically.

_Ho - ho - ho - ho – ho_

They all stood up now, leaving their makeover artists behind –the Scarecrow blowing a kiss to his girls- and sang together.

_That's how we laugh the day away In the Merry Old Land of Oz!_

_  
Ha - ha – ha_

_Ho - ho - ho –_

_Ha - ha - ha -ha – ha_

_  
That's how we laugh the day away, In the Merry Old Land of Oz!_**

* * *

**

**A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I don't know why. It's just a really happy and cheerful scene. (I was in this scene as a Beautician in my school musical xD) Hopefully updates will become more frequent as it's the holidays now but…. that's what I said last time. Also, Spain was supposed to be the guard just in case my hints weren't enough. ( he's my favourite characer in hetalia ;D) Hope you like it! Please review if you do! I really do love all your reviews. They make me feel speshal. =D**


	8. Tears, Tasks, Terrifying Floating Heads

**Chapter 8**

**Of Tears, Tasks and Terrifying Floating Heads**

_Thats how we laugh the day away_

_with a ah-ha-ha_

_a-ha-ha_

_a-ha-ha_

_a-ha-ha_

_a-ha-ha_

_a-ha-ha_

_a-ha....._

A burst of light and a following roar caused the Ozians to shriek and fall back, gasping in suprise. The Witch had appeared overhead, seated firmly on his broom, looking down on the people below with barely contained glee at seeing them so helpless and afraid.

The Lion had wrapped his arms around the Tinman's waist and buried his head in his arms. His muffled voice shook as he tried to speak.

"Who's t-that?"

Romano trembled slightly but attempted to look calm and composed. "It's the fucking Witch! He must have been following us."

The Scarecrow walked forward to get a better look, the only one seemingly unperturbed by the Wicked Witch.

"I think he's writing something with all that smoke!"

Romano cocked his head sideways to read the slanted words.

"Sur-ren-der my - dear -little Roma- HEY!" Romano glared daggers at the Witch. "What the fuck are you playing at? Nobody calls me dear. NOBODY!" He strode forward and picked a rock up off the ground, circling his arm a few times before flinging it at the Witch with all the force he could muster. The Witch let out a shout as the rock hit him and threw his arms into the air angrily, disappearing with a flash, rose petals floating to the ground in his wake.

Murmurs began to spread amongst the crowd of gathered Ozian's, the rumours and noise increasing steadily.

"Romano, who's Romano?

"Who was that in the sky?"

"I've never heard of someone called Romano"

"What type of name is Romano?" (To which Romano promptly knocked that man out)

"Is Romano the name of the Witch's boyfriend?" (This man was punched as well)

"The Wizard will explain it!"

"To the Wizard"

"To The Wizard!"

"The Wizard!"

The crowd began to surge forward franticly, asking for answers. Romano and the others followed closely, just as eager to see the Wizard, Romano still fuming in embarrassment from the Witch's remark. The Scarecrow wasn't helping much either, adding 'darling Romano" every time he said his name. The Guard appeared before them, holding his hands out to halt them in their tracks.

"Everything is fine, stop that now just – every--- it's all right! Everything is under control. The Wizard will see to it that everyone is safe and that all matters are taken care of. You can all go home now. Go on!"

The Guard sighed in relief as most began to wander slowly but uncertainly back to their houses.

"Thats it go home, I-I—" he paused, noticing that Romano and the others still remained, staring defiantly at him.

Romano looked at him insolently. "Were not gonna give up that easily." The Tinman glared at him from his fierce cobalt eyes, nodding in accord.

The Guard sighed again, looking a bit ruffled. "I'm sorry but, I'm not allowed to let anyone in. That's my orders!"

Romano stamped a foot impatiently and the Scarecrow grumbled something about just getting his nails done for this.

The Guard shook his head, remaining firm.

The Lion, wrung his paws. "Please, just let him see Romano at least." Romano felt an overwhelming amount of happiness towards the Lion at that and gave him a rare smile. The Lion smiled shyly back, while the Tinman looked from one to the other with an expression of pure dislike.

The Guard froze, "Romano as in, the Witch's Romano?"

The Scarecrow grinned. "The Witch's dear little Roma-"

"Shut up dammit!" Romano muttered angrily.

The Guard smiled at them. 'Well, you should have said so before! Just wait here for a moment and i'll go see what I can do."

He winked at Romano and disappeared into the palace. Romano crossed his arms and hung his head to conceal his rapidly flushing face.

"Thank god someone has finally got some fucking commonsense."

The Scarecrow did a small twirl, his skirt floating happily in the air.

"I'm going to get a brain!" he exclaimed in a sing-song voice.

"And me, a heart" the Tinman said, his eyes dancing joyfully.

"And I, I will be King of the Forest!" said the Lion with a proud smile. He began to pace around the group, head thrown back as though he were indeed royalty and his voice sung out.

_If I were King of the Forest_

_Not queen, not duke, not prince  
My regal robes of the forest_

_would be satin, not cotton, not chintz_

Romano frowned. "What the hell is chintz?" The Tinman shrugged.

_I'd command each thing_

_Be it fish or fowl  
With a woof and a woof _

_And a royal growl - woof_

The Scarecrow jumped as the Lion turned and directed the last growl at him.

_As I'd click my heel_

_All the trees would kneel.  
And the mountains bow _

_And the bulls kowtow  
And the sparrow would take wing_

_- If I - If I - were King!_

The Tinman began to walk behind him as though he was part of a Royal Guard, hands by his side stiffly, jaw set firmly, and Romano couldn't help but think that he would make a perfect guard. He was damn scary enough. The Scarecrow grabbed a bundle of the rose petals that the Witch had left behind and began to scatter them before the still pacing Lion. Romano just watched on in disbelief, the absolute weirdness of the whole land of Oz never ceasing to amaze him.

_Each rabbit would show respect to me_

_The chipmunks genuflect to me.  
Though my tail would lash_

_I would show compash  
For every underling!  
If I - If I - were King!  
Just King!_

He proclaimed these last words loudly and punched a fist dramatically into the air. Romano decided that it would be best to burst his bubble.

"So, you wouldn't be afraid of anything huh?"

The Lion shooks his mane. "Nope. Absolutely nothing."

"What about a rhinoceros?" the Scarecrow ventured, shivering as though just thinking about the horned beasts would give him nightmares.

The Lion waved his accusation away. "Imposerous!"

Romano snorted. "Yeah, cause that's a word."

The Tinman frowned. "Hippopot'mus?"

"I would thrash him from top to bottomous!"

Romano was choking on his own laughter by now as an idea flickered across his mind and he walked right up to the Lion and whispered into his ear.

"You wouldn't even be scared by the Tinman?"

The Lion leapt back and threw a glance at the expressionless man behind him. He inhaled and regained his composure.

"No"

Romano was quite thankful to see the guard re-emerge, not to see the actual man himself of course, but if nothing had interrupted them soon he might have died from laughter.

"I'm sorry but, the Wizard won't see you. You need to go away now." He gave them an apologetic smile.

Romano stomped forward and glared at him, brown eyes only a breath away from green.

"What-the-fuck" he said accentuating each word.

"Are you fucking brain-dead! I am not leaving this blasted town until I see this damned Wizard that everyone is talking about. Don't you fucking tell me to go away you piece of shit!"

The Guard seemed quite taken aback at Romano's outburst but pushed the fuming Italian away gently.

"I'm sorry" he repeated, "but the Wizard has spoken and he won't change his mind." He turned away and walked back into the palace.

Romano kicked the door angrily behind him.

"Fuck that stupid bastard!" He exhaled heatedly and dropped to the ground. A sniffling sound caught his attention and he looked up to see the tears falling from the Scarecrow's eyes.

"I'm never going to get a brain now!" he wailed, obviously unashamed about crying so openly in front of the others.

Romano opened his mouth to say something rude but shut it again, wary that he really wasn't good in situations like this.

The Scarecrow was sobbing harder now, arms slung around the Lion's waist who was just patting his head awkwardly.

"I totally don't wanna go back to the field! I want to be smart and..I like, just want people to actually respect me! Just because I like, talk funny sometimes and I wear girls clothes doesn't mean anything! And then I would like, so shock people with all my knowledge. I'd be way too cool. And now it's never gonna happen!" The Scarecrow buried his head into the Lion's shoulder, his body shaking with each sob.

Romano blinked in disbelief at him. Who know that ditzy man actually had feelings. He fell back a little as the door he was leaning on opened again and the Guard emerged, his eyes puffy and red from crying.

"Don't cry Scarecrow! I-I'm sorry. I'll get you in, I'll make sure of it."

Romano looked at him in shock. "And you couldn't have done that before!"

The Guard just ignored him and beckoned for them to follow him inside, the large doors shutting silently behind them as they walked into the emerald chamber of the Great Oz.

The Lion halted in his tracks suddenly.

"Ahhh- guys, I'm not actually sure I re-really want to see him. I think I'll just wait outside..."

He began to creep back towards the door but both the Tinman and Scarecrow grabbed him firmly by his arms and began to march him towards the glowing green light at the far end of the room.

The Lion let out a small gasp.

"What's wrong now?" Romano asked, any sliver of sympathy he may have had completely exhausted.

"Somebody pulled my tail!"

Romano rolled his eyes. "You idiot, you did it yourself."

The Lion grinned sheepishly. "Ahh, I see..."

The Guard waved them over to the back of the room where there was a large collection of pipes, smoke pouring out so that the room was covered in a constant green haze.

"The Wizard will see you know" he said.

Romano leapt back in shock as a large, what seemed to be floating, head appeared amidst the whirling smoke. The Wizard was actually much younger than Romano had expected, thinking he would be an old wizened man. He had a childish face so the frown he was giving the group didn't seem to suit him very well at all. A pair of rectangular glasses were perched on his nose and a curl stuck out oddly on top of his head.

"Umm- err, Hi...sir, I'm Romano and I wanted to ask-"

"SILENCE!" the Wizard roared. Anger really did not match his appearance. Romano wondered briefly if he was just acting powerful. The Lion whimpered softly and clung desperately to the Tinman, even the Tinman's joints were rattling in fear.

The Wizard yawned suddenly surprising everyone. "This all powerful image really doesn't suit me too well hey?"

Romano was too astonished to realise that this was exactly what he had been thinking.

"Err, no?" he said softly.

The Wizard frowned at him. "Well I _am_ actually all powerful ya know? I mean, I'm the most awesome one there is!" He winked at them and flashed a bright smile.

Romano stared at him astounded to which the Wizard burst into laughter.

"God, you should see the look on your faces! Anyways, why are you here? I really didn't want to be bothered right now. I'm in the middle of eating! He sent a gare at the Guard who just shrugged helplessly.

"Ahh well, I want to go home."

"And I really want a brain!"

"And me some courage and him a heart!"

The Wizard looked incredulously at them and smiled. "You guys are pretty determined. I don't really mind helping you."

The Lion smiled happily having relaxed a fair bit.

"The Brittania Angel said you'd help us!"

The Wizard snapped his attention to the Lion suddenly. "What? You talked to Arthur?"

Romano wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, that fucking awful angel almost attacked me"

The Wizard chuckled again. "I like you" he said with another winning grin. "Arthur can be a bit.... hard to take sometimes. Trust me I know. He hasn't been talking me for ages after we had that fight."

"Well i'm glad somebody else finds him annoying. Those idiotic munchkins seemed to be dedicated to his every word!" Romano scoffed.

The Wizard nodded in approval. 'I know, I know. I really don't get what they see in him."

The Scarecrow coughed loudly. "Are you guys like, done having your little bitch session yet?

The Wizard nodded again. "Sure. Okay then well, first, I want you guys to prove your worth by performing a task."

"Haven't we done enough fucking things to get here!"

Shaking his head the Wizard looked at Romano. "Hey, magic actually takes alot of work so you either prove that I should be bothered to do anything for you or just go away. Plus, If I just gave out my magic all the time to anyone who came in here I would become magically deprived."

Romano grumbled to himself, trying to work out the logic behind magic deprivation as the Wizard continued.

"Bring me the broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West."

Romano choked on air. "What! You want me to go willingly near that psychotic man!" The others nodded avidly in agreement.

The Wizard just shrugged as though it didn't really bother him. "Bring me that broom and i'll get you what you want."

They began to walk away, their footsteps echoing loudly in the chamber.

"Oh and one more thing!" They all turned back. "If you see Arthur.." he hesitated for a moment, looking guilty, "Tell him that his scones don't actually taste like shit."

Romano bit back laughter but sobered as he remembered what he had to do to go back home.

"Sure thing oh great one" he said with a smirk as he turned and walked out of the smoky chamber.

* * *

**A/N : Hey guys! Im-a-back with an update after hibernating for what seemed like a century. I was kind disheartened that I didn't get any reviews last chapter. ;A; But that's okay, feel free to redeem yourselves with this chapter. xDD I want to finish this story but, I get sidetracked so easily, especially as i'm writing another story at the moment which is so, so long and i'm really getting into it. But I haven't forgotten this story yet! Go forth and review my lovely readers!**


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